Unter den Linden Facts for Kids

Not to be confused with "Unter der Linden," a poem by Walther von der Vogelweide.

Centre strip in autumn

Unter den Linden means "under the linden trees." It is a famous street in Berlin, the capital city of Germany. This wide street is special because it has many linden trees. These trees line a grassy area in the middle of the road, making it a beautiful place to walk.

The street runs from east to west. It starts near where the old royal palace, the Stadtschloss, used to be. It ends at Pariser Platz and the famous Brandenburg Gate. As you go east, the street crosses the Spree River near the Berlin Cathedral. To the west, past the Brandenburg Gate, it becomes another street called Straße des 17. Juni. Other important streets like Friedrichstraße and Wilhelmstrasse cross Unter den Linden.

History of Unter den Linden
Famous Buildings and Statues
Along Unter den Linden
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

History of Unter den Linden

An old drawing of the Linden Alley from 1691

Unter den Linden started as a simple path in the 1500s. An important ruler named John George used it to reach his hunting grounds. Later, in 1647, a new ruler called Frederick William ordered linden trees to be planted along the path. This turned it into a beautiful boulevard stretching from the city palace to the city gates.

By the 1800s, Berlin was growing fast. Unter den Linden became the most famous and grandest street in the city. In 1851, a large statue of King Frederick the Great on horseback was placed in the middle of the street.

Sadly, many linden trees were cut down in the 1930s for a new train tunnel. During the last days of World War II, the remaining trees were destroyed or cut for firewood. The linden trees you see today were replanted in the 1950s.

Famous Buildings and Statues

The buildings along Unter den Linden are numbered starting from the Schlossbrücke (Palace Bridge). This bridge connects the street to the Lustgarten park and Museum Island.

Here are some important places you can find:

The Alte Kommandantur (No. 1): This building has been rebuilt to look like the original.
The Zeughaus (No. 2): This is the oldest building on the street, built between 1695 and 1706. Today, it is the Deutsches Historisches Museum, a German history museum.
The Kronprinzenpalais (No. 3): This was once the palace for the crown princes of the Hohenzollern family.
The Neue Wache (No. 4): Built in 1817, this building is a war memorial. Many people think it is a masterpiece by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
The Berlin State Opera (No. 7): Located on Bebelplatz, this opera house is often called Lindenoper.
St. Hedwig's Cathedral: Also on Bebelplatz.
The Altes Palais (No. 9): This old palace was a favorite home of Emperor Wilhelm I.
The Humboldt University (No. 6): This is a major university in Berlin.
The Berlin State Library (No. 8): One of Germany's most important libraries.
The Russian Embassy (No. 63-65) and the Hungarian Embassy (No. 76).
The Hotel Adlon (No. 77): This famous hotel is at the corner of Pariser Platz. It was completely rebuilt after the war.

You can also see statues of famous people along the street. These include Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt in front of the university. There are also statues of Prussian generals Scharnhorst and Bülow.

Along Unter den Linden

An aerial view of Unter den Linden, from the Berlin Cathedral to the Brandenburg Gate
Unter den Linden at night
The eastern end of the street at Schlossbrücke (Palace Bridge)
The Zeughaus building, now the Deutsches Historisches Museum
The Berlin State Opera, a beautiful neoclassical building on Bebelplatz
The equestrian statue of King Frederick II of Prussia, facing east
The famous Hotel Adlon
The Brandenburg Gate at Pariser Platz, marking the western end of the street